Strategic Plan 2026 - 2030
An Australian society in which human rights are respected, promoted and protected. Where every person is free and equal in dignity and rights.
Summary
As the Commission marks our 40 years anniversary, this Plan sets out our agenda for how we will use the powers and resources granted to us to maximise our positive impact to improve the human rights of all people in Australia.
Download the Strategic Plan
This Strategic Plan outlines how we will undertake our functions over the next 5 years to 2030.
Introduction
Human rights are standards that governments around the world have agreed to meet so that everyone can live a safe, free and dignified life. Human rights belong to all of us, no matter who we are or where we live. Human rights are about being treated fairly, treating others fairly and being able to choose how we live our lives. When human rights are respected, our lives are better and our communities are stronger, healthier, safer and more prosperous.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has been protecting and promoting the human rights of people in Australia since 1986. This Strategic Plan outlines how we will undertake our functions over the next 5 years to 2030.
The Plan responds to a complex and challenging environment. There are significant threats to people’s rights in Australia including through rising racism, increased polarisation and division, rapid technological change, climate change, persistent inequality and continued disadvantage in rural areas compared to the cities. Globally, the consensus on human rights is being eroded and United Nations institutions are facing major challenges.
The Plan has a strong focus on human rights education to improve understanding and acceptance of human rights and to address declining civics knowledge. It has a continued focus on systemic legislative reforms including an Australian Human Rights Act to better protect people’s rights. It features a more integrated ‘One Commission’ approach to our work, recognising that many human rights issues intersect and that our work is stronger through improved collaboration internally and externally.
As the Commission marks our 40 years anniversary, this Plan sets out our agenda for how we will use the powers and resources granted to us to maximise our positive impact to improve the human rights of all people in Australia.
Acknowledgement of First Peoples’ country and sovereignty
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived on the lands now called Australia for thousands of generations. They are the First Peoples. They established hundreds of sovereign nations and lived sustainably on their traditional country with sophisticated culture, law, language and knowledge.
Colonisation devastated First Peoples. Colonisers took First Peoples’ land, brought disease, suppressed language and culture and forced First Peoples off their country and onto missions and reserves. They committed genocidal acts; massacres, systematic child removal and more.
First Peoples resisted and survived. While the injustice of colonisation is ongoing, their ancient cultures and deep connection to country continue to endure. Their sovereignty has never been ceded. As the Uluru Statement from the Heart recognises, it co-exists alongside Australian sovereignty.
We must work with First Peoples to create a different story for future generations. One where truth is acknowledged and understood, where First Peoples have power and control over the issues that affect them and where there is genuine equality. By addressing injustice, we can come together as a nation with a brighter, shared future.